Ill-maintained EB box in Chennai area worries many

Chennai: Residents of Sivan Koil Street in Kodambakkam in the city are a worried lot, as the electrical junction box here suffers from poor maintenance.

The box that provides power supply to houses and buildings in the vicinity, has its wires lying around, apart from being stuck with bills and posters.

"We do not know who has stuck these posters. Even though people see it, no one, including EB officials, have come forward to remove the same. This shows their negligence towards their work," says Prasanna, a resident. "This has been the situation for nearly three months", she adds.

Another concern is that the presence of concrete waste and a garbage bin near the EB box, makes it difficult for commuters to move freely on the road.

They allege that due to the large amount of waste, it gets irksome for school vans and bikes to move quickly.

"There is a school present here. Children are forced to walk cautiously to avoid mishaps related to the junction box. There was this one incident a few weeks back, when sparks were seen from here," says Vijaya Thyagarajan, another resident.

"One of our neighbour's pet dog died when he was sniffing near the box. The situation can be made safe if the wires and cables are properly placed," she adds.

Adding to her words, Thyagarajan, her husband says, "During the rainy months, it becomes worse. At that time, the waste floats along with the water and there are stranded wires that are deadly."

"Apart from this, we also frequently experience power cuts, so that motorists and pedestrians do not get electrocuted. Instead of this move, they should keep the box and its surrounding space in a good condition, so that people do not pollute it. It is the duty of the authorities to look into this issue," he concludes.